Textbook Task Force
EAC Textbook Task Force Meeting:  5-24-06

Members in attendance: Michael Sonnleitner, Rhonda Smythe, Joyce Morrison, Diane Mulligan,

Phil Hess,  Sheila Afran-Manns, Christine Teh, and Ed DeGrauw & Scott Quinn (c. 4:10).

Members absent:  Kerr Mahnke, Anne Marie Martin, Colin Fleming.

Guests Present:  Ava Hegedus.

Discussion of Agenda begun at 3:05, with only 7 TTF members present (lack of quorum for decision-

making. Minutes will be taken by Rhonda & Michael since Ed DeGrauw has a conflict with Curriculum Committee responsibilities.  As a matter of  process, at Rhonda’s suggestion, the original 7 members present began reviewing our list of proposed recommendations – and later returned to comb through the

list again after the arrival of Ed and Scott provided a quorum necessary for decisions.  In order to simplify our official record of this meeting the “discussion” portion of each item below will relate more to the early part of the meeting with all of the “consensus decisions” taken after Ed and Scott arrived.

1)  Discussion of Textbook Order Form:  Rhonda gave feedback from the EAC which included the following comments: faculty should do textbook ordering, administrative assistants might revolt against

a change that created more work for them, all fields in the new form should auto-populate once the ISBN

is entered, and the bookstore should increase its level of service.  After an exchange between Michael and Joyce that sought to clarify how a new order form might best improve the ordering process, Joyce agreed

to send information regarding the “MBS” form to Tammy Billick (in ITS) who would be contacted by Rhonda to determine whether or not an internal interface might be possible between the our new Textbook Order Form and the existing MBS Form that might allow a program to be created to translate information from our form to the MBS form. As a meeting between Tammy Billick and the System Administrator for the Bookstore, Kathy Stone, might be helpful in this context, Rhonda also volunteered to take care of that.

      All present agreed that creating such an internal interface/translation program would be most ideal and that filling out the new form should be made as simple as possible through auto-populating mechanisms now operational in the MBS form.  Michael agreed to put something in the “strategy for implementation” language of recommendation #1 to be considered for consensus approval at our next meeting.  .

2)  Discussion regarding Recommendations #2-3:  Rhonda noted how there were no comments regarding these items at the EAC meeting.  Phil pointed out how “dispersal” should be spelled “disbursal” and Michael agreed that his spelling needs improvement – though he would prefer for the English language to simply conform to how he has come to spell things.

3)  Discussion regarding the Bookstore & the General Fund:   Diane Mulligan, who had been unable to attend our 5/10/06 meeting with Randy McEwen had additional information to share regarding PCC tuition and fees: While PCC may currently rank 3rd highest in tuition among the 17 Oregon community colleges, when the tuition and fees are combined PCC ranks only #7.  Our annualized tuition and fees total this year was $3,116 (with Clackamas being lowest at $2,700 and Treasure Valley highest at $3,330). 

      Extensive discussion regarding recommendation #4 yielded a sentiment that its current wording needed more emphasis upon reducing the textbook markup by ending current practice of treating the Bookstore as a “profit center”.  Joyce expressed a concern that if the Bookstore were to cease to be a “profit center” for PCC, there might be a temptation to outsource its operations to Barnes & Noble or some similar private corporation (as has happened at PSU).  All agreed that would not be a desirable outcome.  Michael agreed to propose an extensively revised Recommendation #4 for consensus consideration at our next meeting.   

4)  Discussion regarding Recommendations #5-6:  Sheila thought it would be good if donors could easily earmark contributions to the PCC Foundation either for Book-buying Scholarships or for other programs supportive of the PCC Bookstore, or even include setting aside a % of all non-earmarked contributions for such purposes. Michael will include some wording to that effect in the Notes associated with Recommendation #5.  

5)  Discussion of  the controversial Recommendations #7-8:   All agreed that it was an excellent idea to invite an attorney, expert in laws and practices regarding employee ethics in Oregon, to our next meeting.  Rhonda gave feedback from the EAC which included the following comments:  confusion as to what might be meant by “reasonable honoraria”, whether receiving complimentary textbooks might be forbidden under these provisions, and how the prohibitions of these provisions might adversely affect faculty development opportunities that are currently provided by some publishers.   Michael agreed to propose revisions to these recommendations for consensus consideration at our next meeting. Rhonda agreed to arrange for an attorney to join us at the next meeting.  Consensus Decision:  include “or Director” so Recommendation #8 will read: “…after prior consultation with one’s Division Dean or Director regarding possible impropriety.”  It was also agreed that the work “entirely” should be excluded from Recommendation #8.

6)   Recommendations #9-10 were reviewed with little felt need for commentary.  There was some discussion regarding what restrictions on lobbying activity by PCC or those associated with it.  Rhonda agreed to ask David Goldberg, PCC Director of Marketing, about this.  It was also thought that the lawyer who is invited to attend our next meeting might provide some insights into this issue.

7)   Meeting Minutes for 4/26/06 were approved, with the inclusion of Randy McEwen’s last name (replacing ?????).

8)   Meeting Minutes for 5/10/06 were approved,  with the following corrections: “Joyce noted how Bookstore textbook sales this year are only about 51% of ordered inventory nationwide, where a 75%

sales figure was considered good.” (not “Joyce noted how Bookstore textbook sales this year are only

about 51% of ordered inventory, a significant decline as compared to earlier years in which a 75% sales figure was considered good.”, “disbursal” (not “dispersal”), and “Joyce Morrison stood aside, abstaining from support of this recommendation on the ground of its increasing inefficiencies at the Bookstore – including making it harder to estimate how many textbooks to order.” (not “… -- including a likely

decease in textbook sales.”  Michael also agreed to make some mention of sentiments expressed during

the discussion regarding item #8, including interest in having a written record as well as having some

kind of cooling off period.

9)   Consensus Decision:  to omit Anne Marie Martin from the listing of TTF members that will be associated with recommendations to be made to the EAC on 6/14/06 (as she has never attended a TTF Meeting and has not communicated or responded to efforts of Rhonda or Michael to communicate with her since she was appointed to the TTF by the EAC on 4/19/06.

10)  Consensus Decision:  to revise our quorum requirement to 7 TTF members being present in order to make decisions at a TTF meeting (effective 6/7/06).

11)  Michael suggested that it would be helpful to have a team of some sort continue next year to track the progress of recommendations approved by the EAC: (perhaps “the three Amigos”?), including at least one instructor, one student, and one other member of the current TTF.  All agreed and it was suggested that such a team also carry on education in relation to the recommendations (maybe even a  “campaign”) and report periodically back to the EAC.  Time needs to be set aside at our next meeting to create a “To Do List” for such a team.  Michael agreed to propose something regarding this for consensus consideration at our next meeting.   

12)  No one disagreed with Michael’s suggestion to have a photographer present at our next TTF Meeting (and our last) on 6/7/06 so as to record that historic occasion!   

13)  Appreciation was expressed to Michael for bringing refreshments to this meeting.  Rhonda agreed to bring them to the next.

Meeting adjourned at 5:00pm. 

Next Meeting: Wed., June 7th, 3-5pm in the SY Bookstore Conference Room.